West Ham United shared the points with Aston Villa in the Premier League on Sunday afternoon but VAR has provoked consternation inside the Hammers support once again, a late winner chalked off after the longest VAR check in Premier League history.

Frankly, West Ham have seen a catalogue of decisions – four, to be precise – go against them in the video assistant room over the past two weeks, and there's validity in the club feeling a little aggrieved.

But let's not forget, David Moyes' side are performing quite well at the moment and were worth their salt in the draw against fourth-placed Villa, with Jarrod Bowen at the centre of the action once again.

Why Jarrod Bowen starred vs Aston Villa

It was Bowen's inswinging corner that allowed Michail Antonio to barrel in his second of the day, only for the strike to be chalked off, the veteran striker adjudged to have handled.

Still, Bowen was lively all game and caused real problems for the Villan defence and shot-stopper Emi Martinez, tweaking his role of late as he shifts back into the right wing, supplementing frontman Antonio.

Minutes played

90'

Touches

31

Accurate passes

11/15 (73%)

Key passes

3

Shots

0

Crosses

2/6

Dribble attempts

2/5

Duels won

6/15

Tackles

3

The 33-year-old's return from injury has pumped cohesion back into the outfit, and Bowen thrived in creating and causing a threat down the wing, proving his dynamism and multi-functionality given that he has plundered 18 goals from 37 matches across all competitions this season.

But Sunday's match proved something that might seem strange. While Bowen has been West Ham's most effective and most influential forward this season, he's not actually the most important player under Moyes' wing – that's Edson Alvarez, the man in the middle.

Why Edson Alvarez is West Ham's most important player

After another brilliant performance at the weekend, the Independent's Malik Ouzia handed Alvarez an 8/10 match rating, writing: 'Outstanding at the base of midfield, covering the ground that allowed the front-four to press on. Booked and now faces a two-game ban in what will be a huge blow.'

Alvarez was monstrous, completing 94% of his passes, winning four duels, making two tackles, three clearances and one interception and succeeding with five of his six attempted long balls, as per Sofascore.

Effectively the like-for-like replacement for Declan Rice last summer, Alvarez has cemented himself as the glue in the West Ham engine room following his £35m arrival from Ajax, with The Athletic's Roshane Thomas even pronouncing him the club's "best summer signing" despite the success of Mohammed Kudus and the creativity of James Ward-Prowse.

But what makes him so important? As per FBref, the 26-year-old ranks among the top 14% of midfielders across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for tackles, the top 20% for interceptions, the top 4% for blocks, the top 1% for clearances and the top 30% for aerial wins per 90.

He also averages 5.5 ball recoveries, 2.5 clearances and 4.9 successful duels per game in the Premier League this season, with steely anchoring abilities that make him a singular star at the heart of West Ham's system.

The Mexican's booking against Aston Villa means that he will suspended against the upcoming Premier League fixtures against Newcastle United and Tottenham Hotspur.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast's Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

It cannot be understated how big of a blow this will be. The fact remains that he is now undroppable. Unfortunately, the forthcoming period of football will be contested without his command. Enter Kalvin Phillips?

The duo achieved their career-best Test rankings after impressive performances in the win over New Zealand in Perth

ESPNcricinfo staff16-Dec-2019Marnus Labuschagne and Mitchell Starc have achieved their career-best ICC Test rankings, breaking into the top five of the batting and bowling charts respectively.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

For Labuschagne, the rise has been meteoric. He is just 12 Tests old, and had an unremarkable run in the first five of those, between October 2018 and February 2019. But after walking out as Steven Smith’s concussion substitute at Lord’s during the Ashes Test in August this year, he has been spectacular, tallying 893 runs in 11 innings and averaging 81.18 – he has centuries (185, 162 and 143) in each of his last three Tests too.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

His performance – 143 and 50 – in Australia’s first Test against New Zealand in Perth helped Labuschagne displace David Warner in fifth place.Starc, meanwhile, had match figures of 9 for 96 in Perth, where Australia won by 296 runs.Elsewhere, Babar Azam has entered the top ten of the Test batting rankings for the first time, moving four spots up to No. 9 after his century in the first Test against Sri Lanka in Rawalpindi. That made him the only one currently apart from Virat Kohli to be in the top ten among batsmen across formats – he is No. 1 in T20Is and No. 3 in ODIs.The bowlers’ table, which has quicks occupying all the top ten spots, saw Tim Southee climb three places to No. 10 after a nine-wicket haul in Perth, while Neil Wagner and Josh Hazlewood moved up a spot apiece to No. 3 and No. 7 respectively.Among other batsmen to make major strides, Ross Taylor moved up five places to the 11th position after scoring 80 and 22 in Perth, while Dhananjaya de Silva moved eight places up to 35th after making an unbeaten 102 in Rawalpindi.Kohli and Smith held on to their No. 1 and No. 2 positions respectively in the batting rankings, which is dominated by India and Australia taking up six spots, while Pat Cummins remained top of the bowlers’ list.

MatériaMais Notícias

O árbitro escalado para o confronto entreAtletico-GO e São Paulo,válido pela segunda rodada do Brasileirão, é acostumado com as câmeras dentro e fora de campo. Diego Pombo Lopez é ex-participante do reality “A Fazenda”, produzido pela Record. Com o sucesso além das atuações em partidas de futebol, em 2012, Diego foi o sétimo eliminado do programa.
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Eleito melhor árbitro do Campeonato Baiano de 2011, Diego Pombo Lopez, aos 26 anos, também fazia trabalhos de modelo e era considerado o “galã” da arbitragem brasileira. A participação no reality, inclusive, ocorreu em um período em que o juiz deixou um pouco de lado sua carreira nos campos.

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Após dois meses confinado, foi eliminado com 52% dos votos e retornou ao futebol.

Manchester City were held to a thrilling 3-3 draw against Real Madrid in the first leg of their Champions League tie in Spain on Tuesday night.

The Cityzens are still competing to land the treble for the second season in succession, as they eye the Premier League and the FA Cup alongside Europe's major prize.

Despite their continued success on the pitch, Pep Guardiola's side are already looking at possible targets to improve their playing squad in the upcoming summer transfer window.

City are reportedly eyeing up a swoop to sign a current Premier League star to bolster the Spanish manager's options in the middle of the park.

Man City agree personal terms with Premier League magician

According to Foot Mercato journalist Santi Aouna, Manchester City have now reached an agreement on personal terms with West Ham United star Lucas Paqueta.

The reporter claims that the Cityzens have ironed out a long-term contract, including the exact duration of the deal and the salary included, with the Brazil international ahead of the summer.

However, Aouna adds that there have not been any talks between the two clubs at this moment in time, which means that a fee has not been agreed.

The post states that Paqueta's agents are now expecting City and the Hammers to hold negotiations over a deal for the Brazilian wizard at the end of the season, although it does not reveal how much the London-based outfit are set to demand for their star performer.

An agreement on personal terms with the former Lyon maestro does, however, indicate that they already have the green light on the player's side, which could play into their hands in transfer talks.

West Ham would then know that they have someone who wants to move on this summer, and they may not want to keep an unhappy and unsettled player if City offer a significant fee to secure his services.

Lucas Paqueta's Premier League form

With his combative and creative performances, the 26-year-old whiz has showcased his quality as an all-round midfielder in the Premier League for the Hammers this season.

Paqueta currently ranks within the top 6% of attacking midfielders in the division for tackles (2.60) per 90, and the top 11% for interceptions (0.77) per 90, which speaks to how hard he works out of possession to win the ball back for his team.

Lucas Paqueta (23/24)

Premier League

Europa League

Appearances

25

8

Sofascore rating

7.30

7.21

Goals

4

4

Big chances created

10

2

Assists

6

0

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, the £150k-per-week star has also provided attacking quality as both a scorer and a creator of goals from midfield.

Paqueta, who has been described as "elegant" by U23 scout Antonio Mango, ranks within the top 7% of Premier League attacking midfielders for progressive passes (6.53) per 90 this season, which shows that he is constantly looking to play forward and progress play for his team.

Meanwhile, Matheus Nunes ranks within the bottom 45% of midfielders in the division with 4.14 progressive passes for City, and has produced zero goals and two assists in 15 games.

Related Man City set to make huge contract offer to "incredible" star who Pep loves

There has been a significant development.

Posts ByHenry Jackson Apr 7, 2024

This suggests that the potential is there for Paqueta to arrive as an upgrade on Nunes as a rotation option for Guardiola in midfield, which may be why he has been targeted ahead of the summer window.

Liverpool are interested in completing the signing of an "exceptional" attacking player in the summer transfer window, despite his current club trying to tie him down to a new deal.

Liverpool transfer news

There is plenty of negativity surrounding the Reds at the moment, following successive disappointing trips to Manchester United, but they cannot afford to feel sorry for themselves with two trophies still to play for.

Regardless of whether Liverpool go all the way in the Premier League title race this season, it is clear that further signings will be needed in the summer however, allowing Jurgen Klopp's replacement to bring in the right players to suit his system.

The Merseysiders have been linked with an audacious move for Real Madrid midfielder Federico Valverde, which would be a stunning piece of business, but it would be a big surprise if the La Liga giants were willing to let one of their most important players leave.

Jeremie Frimpong is another individual who has been backed to join Liverpool in the next window, having stood out as a key man for a Bayer Leverkusen side who are on the cusp of winning the Bundesliga. He is primarily a right wing-back, though, so whether he is needed when Trent Alexander-Arnold and Conor Bradley are already in the squad is up for debate.

Joel Matip's impending departure when his contract expires at the end of the season will mean that a new centre-back is needed, and Juventus' highly-rated teenage star Dean Huijsen has been linked with a switch to Anfield. While he only has one appearance to his name for his permanent club to date, he has done well on loan at Roma this season, playing 13 times and averaging two clearances per game.

Liverpool want "exceptional" Leeds star

According to Football Transfers, Liverpool want to sign Leeds United winger Crysencio Summerville this summer, with Newcastle United and AC Milan also in the mix to acquire his signature.

The report says that "should Leeds achieve promotion, we understand that the side will look to offer their Dutch star a bumper new deal to remain at Elland Road", although there is "not a guarantee" of him accepting it.

Summerville is a player who Liverpool know well, with the Dutchman breaking Reds hearts with a late winner at Anfield in the Premier League last season. Incredibly, that remains Virgil van Dijk's only-ever home league defeat in a Reds shirt, over six years after joining the club.

The 22-year-old has become a vital player for Leeds, playing a massive role in their Championship promotion push this season, scoring 17 goals and registering eight assists in the competition.

Liverpool star who completed just 50% passes let Klopp down vs Man Utd

He produced a below-par display at Old Trafford this afternoon.

ByEthan Lamb Apr 7, 2024

Invariably used on the left wing, Summerville could be viewed as strong competition for Luis Diaz, not to mention a long-term option with the potential to develop further under Liverpool's next manager. He has been hailed as "really, really exceptional" by former Reds striker Michael Owen in the past, and would surely jump at the opportunity to move to Anfield.

As much as this season has been full of moments to forget, Newcastle United fans are at least set to get some good news on the contract front, with an agreement reportedly reached for one particular star.

Newcastle contract news

Without Champions League football and perhaps European football altogether next season, some may have been concerned about certain futures at St James' Park. But they've since had good news on that front, with the likes of Alexander Isak reiterating his loyalty to the Magpies.

Newcastle eyeing move to sign £60m "phenomenon" who is “ready to leave”

The Magpies need to solve their defensive crisis.

ByTom Cunningham Apr 10, 2024

Amid links to Liverpool and Chelsea, the Swede said via The Standard:

“Of course I want to be here in the future. I came here for the project, I absolutely love playing here, I really feel at home. I want to finish this season in a good way for me and the team. I love playing here.”

PIF can now breathe a sigh of relief and focus on potential summer incomings, with the likes of Max Kilman and Dean Huijsen linked, as Newcastle look to finally put an end to their defensive injury crisis in the coming months.

Before that, however, Eddie Howe is set to recieve a major boost. According to Fabrizio Romano, Newcastle have reached a verbal agreement with Joelinton over a new contract at the club in what was described as a "huge move". The transfer expert posted on X:

This comes after initial concerns over the Brazilian's future, with Howe even saying earlier this season:

"He has 18 months left on his contract so it's a possibility he'll be sold in the summer.

"I'm not a fortune teller but it's a possibility. I hope that's not the case. I want him to stay. I love him as a person and player. But before a player signs a contract he has to be happy with everything and we are not there yet."

Now that those concerns have seemingly been put to bed, the midfielder can focus on his return and handing his side a major boost next season.

"Fantastic" Joelinton more important than ever at Newcastle

It's no surprise that Newcastle have struggled in the absence of Joelinton, such is the importance of the midfielder in Howe's side these days. The Brazilian has gone from a transfer flop leading the line to a key component at the heart of Newcastle's midfield in a positional change that Howe and his staff deserve the highest praise for.

Now set to stay put at St James' Park, Joelinton has the chance to reaffirm his place in the Newcastle side when he returns from injury this summer. Once described as "fantastic" by Howe, there's no doubt that he will slot straight back in and pick up where he left off. Amid a frustrating season, Newcastle are at least set to put the potential exit rumours to bed.

أكد أحمد العدوي محامي محمد عادل الحكم الدولي، التقدم ببلاغات رسمية ضد 3 أطراف بعد تسريب تسجيل يزعم أنه من داخل عربة الـvar خلال مباراة الزمالك والبنك الأهلي.

وكانت مباراة الزمالك والبنك الأهلي قد أثارت جدلًا واسعًا بسبب القرارات التحكيمية، وخاصة بعد انتشار تسريب صوتي منسوب لمحمد عادل حكم المباراة وميدو سلامة حكم الـvar.

ياسر عبد الرؤوف: خطأ محمد عادل لا يهمني.. ويجب معرفة هوية صاحب التسريب

وقال العدوي في تصريحات تلفزيونية بفضائية “أون تايم سبورتس”: “تقدمنا ببلاغ اليوم، واتهمنا إبراهيم فايق مقدم برنامج مع فايق والصحفي أحمد عبد الباسط وشركة الفار، بتزوير التسجيل الصوتي”.

وأضاف الحكم السابق ورئيس لجنة الحكام في منطقة السويس الحالي: “وحتى إذا كان التسجيل صحيحًا، طالما تم تسريبه بدون علم صاحبه إذًا هناك عقوبة”.

وأردف: “نريد أن نعرف من الذي أخرج هذا التسريب، لأن التسريب به مناقشة صحيحة وجزء منها مُقتطع”.

وتابع: “رأيي إن اتحاد الكرة لا يصدر أي قرار ضد محمد عادل، لأن الأخير نفى أن التسريب الذي نُشر بصوته، ولا بد من انتظار التقرير الفني للتأكد من أن هذا ليس صوته”.

خاص | اتحاد الكرة يحسم مصير لجنة الحكام

وواصل: “الحقيقة التائهة عند أحمد عبد الباسط الذي سرب المحادثة، المعلومة التي وصلت له وأذاعها حدثت عليها مشكلة، إذًا لا بد أن يكشف عن مصدره ويُحاسب”.

وأتم: “أنا رئيس لجنة الحكام في منطقة السويس، ولكن الآن أنا أتحدث في الشق القانوني، ومحمد عادل اتخذ قرارًا صائبًا وسريعًا بأن يتقدم ببلاغ”.

وأتم: “من حق النيابة أن تطلب المحادثة الأصلية من اتحاد الكرة، ولست أنا”.

Temba Bavuma has been dropped and instructed to return to the domestic circuit and force his way back into the Test team through “weight of runs,” with Rassie van der Dussen assured of an extended stint in the South African middle order.Faf du Plessis confirmed there will only be one change to the starting XI for the New Year’s Test, with Pieter Malan debuting in place of the injured Aiden Markram, despite Bavuma passing a fitness test on the eve of the match. Bavuma proceeded to have a long net session on Wednesday, where South Africa’s batting consultant, Jacques Kallis, closely watched and offered advice, especially about hitting the ball with softer hands but it was not enough to create room for Bavuma in the team. Instead, he is likely to be released to play in a round of four-day franchise series matches which start on Monday, January 6.”We feel its the right thing to do to stick with Rassie. As a player, you feel like you get a bit confidence when you get an extended run – runs or no runs. Luckily he scored some runs in the first Test,” du Plessis said. “A big part of international cricket is the mental aspect of belonging. Rassie has got a real composure to him and a presence when he bats. He ticks all the right boxes.”Also read: Malan prepares to join South Africa’s old new boys’ clubThough South Africa’s current squad has only been named for the first two matches, the indication that van der Dussen will keep his spot could mean that Bavuma will not feature in the series at all. Given Bavuma’s recent form – with no Test half-centuries in his last 12 innings and only one in 2019 – du Plessis said Bavuma understands why he has been dropped and what he needs to do to get his place back.”Temba is on board. Something we are trying to achieve as a batting unit is to raise our standards a little bit higher, push our performances from a runs point of view. He is on board with the process to try and get guys to score big runs,” du Plessis said.Bavuma will have at most three first-class fixtures in which to do that in the domestic four-day competition which dovetails with this Test series. But anything Bavuma does in those matches will likely only count in the second half of the year when South Africa next play Tests in West Indies.”If you’re not finding yourself starting now, it’s about weight of runs,” du Plessis said. “Temba was injured before the start of the series but it was a talking point even before the series – whose positions do we need to make sure there is more competition for?”It’s about finding guys that are knocking on the door all the time to push us to a level where we can take this batting line-up to win games of cricket consistently. Temba will be the first to say that his performance over the last while wasn’t where it needed to be. Weight of runs would be the way back into the team, like it would for anyone.”While that covers the cricketing elements of the conversation, it does not the South African cultural elements. Bavuma’s absence, and the injury to Lungi Ngidi in the Mzansi Super League, meant that South Africa took the field with only one black African player at SuperSport Park and will do the same at Newlands. Their transformation target – calculated on average over a season – requires that the team fields six players of colour of which at least two must be black African. South Africa will miss that target but du Plessis hinted that South Africa’s priorities had shifted to performance, and away from politics.”We don’t see colour and I think it is important that people understand that opportunity is very important, opportunity for everyone. Temba will be the first guy to acknowledge that he got a very good opportunity. It’s important that we keep producing very good cricketers. Right now, we need to win cricket matches, we need to win Test matches and we need to raise the level of performance for all of us. It’s important that we keep making sure there is a level below us where there are players pushing,” du Plessis said.However, he also offered Bavuma a way back in later this season, in shorter formats. “Temba in white ball has shown a lot of growth in his own game so maybe there will be an opportunity in the white-ball format for him,” du Plessis said.Bavuma has played two ODIs for South Africa, opening the batting, and scored a century on debut against Ireland in September 2016 and 48 against Bangladesh more than a year later. Hashim Amla’s retirement may have created room for Bavuma in that format. He made his T20 debut on the last tour to India with returns of 49 and 27* and was ninth on the Mzansi Super League run charts, where he captained the Jozi Stars. Bavuma was being spoken about as a candidate for the T20 World Cup under the previous administration and it would appear that the shorter formats are where his focus needs to be for now.

The youngster battled cramps, an injured hamstring and a fever to script a memorable innings

ESPNcricinfo staff23-Jan-2020Vijay Merchant, Ajit Wadekar, Sunil Gavaskar, Sanjay Manjrekar, Wasim Jaffer, Rohit Sharma … and now Sarfaraz Khan, members of the Mumbai triple centurions’ club in Ranji Trophy cricket, after the 22-year-old hit an unbeaten 301 to help Mumbai take the first-innings honours despite conceding 625 against Uttar Pradesh at the Wankhede Stadium.While questions could – and should – be raised over the playing surface, where 1313 runs were scored over four days for the loss of just 15 wickets, it should take nothing away from the knock that has just about managed to keep Mumbai’s stuttering campaign alive. They are currently 12th in the combined Group A and B table, and are potentially just a win away from entering the top five. While the position they find themselves in isn’t ideal, they would be encouraged by the recent upswing in fortunes.ALSO READ: ‘I was determined to make this one count’ – Manoj Tiwary on historic tripleLast week in Chennai, they recovered from 129 for 5 on the first morning to post 488 on the back of a superb century from Aditya Tare, the stand-in captain. This set the tone for them to walk away with three points after they secured a lead against an equally deflated Tamil Nadu side.This time, they saw Uttar Pradesh notch up a big score after they had removed half the side with just 281 on the board, with wicketkeeper Upendra Yadav making a fifth of his career runs in a single innings alone from No. 7 (203 not out).Sarfaraz walked in to bat on the third day with Mumbai tottering on 128 for 4, 497 behind. He later admitted to walking out to a lot of chirp from the UP team. After all, three years ago, Sarfaraz was part of Wankhede’s away dressing room, playing for UP against Mumbai, the side that nurtured him from age-group cricket. Lack of assurance from the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) in terms of his place in the side played a hand in Sarfaraz’s move to UP, his home state. His performances there weren’t inspiring, and issues with his fitness and discipline led to him being sidelined.

He has matured a bit now. He is more selective, but still with the range of shots he has, he can bat at No. 5 and 6 and win matches for usAditya Tare on Sarfaraz Khan

“I was just delighted and would like to thank MCA for giving me another chance. It [century] was due for a long time. I am glad I scored my first century for Mumbai,” Sarfaraz told . “It was daddy’s [coach Naushad Khan] decision [to play for UP]. I still remember when I was leaving for UP and packing my Mumbai Ranji team’s clothing, I was literally crying because of my love for Mumbai. I never thought I would play for Mumbai again. I still can’t believe I came back and played for Mumbai. It’s like a dream.”This time in the home dressing room, after serving a cooling-off period, he was trying to give his career another push with his team in trouble. He had just made one half-century in three innings prior to the UP game, and shook off any signs of nerves by playing the way he does. He put together stands of 210 with Siddhesh Lad, 179 with Tare, and then 150 with Shams Mulani to give Mumbai a lead. It was a special effort given Sarfaraz battled cramps, a wonky hamstring, and a bout of fever during the course of the two days he batted.”Actually I wasn’t going to come out to bat,” Sarfaraz said. “Adu (Tare) was going to come in my place. I was having fever and cough, I wasn’t well for the last two or three days. Last night (Tuesday), I was okay-okay, but the fever returned during the lunch break. But I felt I should go out to bat, I felt I was the kind of player who could change the game if I remained in the middle.”Sarfaraz said the bouts of pain from his hamstring just prior to the tea interval was a result of cramping. “I hadn’t eaten anything since morning, I don’t eat usually while I’m batting,” he said. “I was tired. During the tea break, I said ‘ (that’s it, I’ve had enough)’. When I got to 250, I thought I must walk off, but the team kept backing me.”Sarfaraz’s return to form bodes well for a side that is without designated captain Suryakumar Yadav, Prithvi Shaw, Ajinkya Rahane and Shardul Thakur, all of whom are either away in New Zealand or preparing to fly out to join the national team. Tare, who is currently leading Mumbai, felt Sarfaraz had matured as a player since he had last played for them.”He has a better head on his shoulders now than when he last played for us,” Tare said. “He was young, used to play a lot more shots then. He has matured a bit now. He is more selective, but still with the range of shots he has, he can bat at No. 5 and 6 and win matches for us.”

Glasgow Rangers enter the international break with the chance for a much-needed rest.

The Ibrox side have been ravaged by injuries of late and with the prospect of nearly two weeks without a fixture, it gives Philippe Clement the opportunity to nurse some players back to full health.

Being knocked out of the Europa League may be a blessing in disguise as the Gers chase Premiership and Scottish Cup glory in the coming weeks.

Led by James Tavernier, the Gers are hitting form at precisely the right time, with the captain front and centre of the recent rejuvenation under Clement.

James Tavernier’s statistics for Rangers this season

Last season, under Michael Beale and Giovanni van Bronckhorst, Tavernier scored 18 goals and registered ten assists, although the club failed to secure any silverware.

Three goals in the Champions League qualifiers was not enough to see Rangers secure a place in the group stage after a defeat to PSV Eindhoven. Tavernier was uncharacteristically barren in front of goal domestically under Beale during the embryonic stages of the season, scoring just once.

Following his dismissal and Clement’s appointment, the captain has been on a different level to anyone else in the squad. Not only has he found the back of the net on 15 occasions under the Belgian in just 32 games, but the defender has also chipped in with eight assists.

These goals have seen the 32-year-old take his tally to an impressive 122 since signing for the club in 2015. Add in the fact he has also grabbed 127 assists, and it is fair to say the Gers may never see his like again.

Tarvernier's contract expires in 2026, when he will be closing in on turning 35, and it is clear he does not have much longer at the very top, suggesting Clement may need to start searching for a successor sooner rather than later.

Could he potentially have someone right under his nose? As Adam Devine is enjoying a promising loan spell at Motherwell.

How Adam Devine is doing on loan at Motherwell

Having made just one appearance for the Light Blues during the opening six months of the season, Clement allowed the youngster to join fellow Premiership side Motherwell on a loan deal until the end of the campaign in order for him to gain some game time.

“Adam is a promising, young talent,” said Motherwell boss Stuart Kettlewell upon his arrival.

“I hope he brings energy and enthusiasm. This is a chance for him to prove himself at this level and I look forward to working with him.”

So far, Devine has played six league ties for the Steelmen, scoring once, averaging 0.5 key passes per game, succeeding with 100% of his dribbles and winning 63% of his ground duels for the club, indicating how well he has settled in.

This temporary spell could be just what he needs to build up some confidence ahead of 2024/25 as he will be aiming to secure more opportunities at the Light Blues and fully realise his true potential.

Adam Devine’s record at Rangers

The right-back was hailed as “highly rated” by then Partick Thistle manager Ian McCall after he joined for a brief loan spell in 2021, but a year later, he made his debut for the Ibrox side.

Van Bronckhorst gave him his first start in the final league game of the 2021/22 season as he was resting players ahead of the Europa League final days later and Devine was solid.

He succeeded with 100% of his dribble attempts, made six clearances, made two tackles and took 79 touches during the game as he looked to get involved at every possible opportunity.

An injury crisis at left-back during the festive period the following season saw Devine start three consecutive matches, performing above board in place of Borna Barisic.

During his six league appearances that term, the 20-year-old provided a clear attacking threat, creating two big chances, averaging one key pass per game and once again succeeding with 100% of his dribble attempts as he looked to support the team when they were attacking.

His flexibility in being able to play either on the left or right side of the defence is a big bonus for Clement, and in the coming years, he could be perfect for Ross McCausland on the right wing.

Ross McCausland's season in numbers

The Northern Irishman has enjoyed a fabulous breakthrough campaign at Ibrox during 2023/24, taking his opportunity following injuries to key players.

From making his first appearance of the season against Aris Limassol in October to the time of writing, the 20-year-old has made 30 appearances for the Light Blues, scoring twice and registering three assists.

While he is an excellent talent, placing too much pressure on his young shoulders could have a detrimental effect, as just one bad performance for Rangers can see certain sections of the fanbase jump to criticise him.

Devine at right-back and McCausland on the right wing is a duo which could be formed over the coming years if both live up to their vast talents.

There is no doubt Clement is all for developing youth talent, with McCausland and Cole McKinnon obvious recent examples, and if the player is good enough, then he should be given at least a chance to showcase his worth in the first team.

Establishing a player trading model will be key for success in the transfer market over the next few years, as the club simply cannot afford to keep splashing out fees on players who are not at the required standard.

This could see several players from the academy make a step up to the first team and fill in gaps in the squad that otherwise may have gone to journeymen or seasoned professionals.

Devine’s loan spell at Motherwell is going well so far and without putting too much pressure on the Scot, if he continues to shine, his confidence levels will be on a high heading into pre-season prior to 2024//25.